OAKLAND: 2017: 75-87, fifth place.
MANAGER: Bob Melvin (eighth season).
ADDITIONS: OF Stephen Piscotty, C Jonathan Lucroy, OF Dustin Fowler, RHP Trevor Cahill, RHP Emilio Pagan, RHP Yusmeiro Petit, LHP Ryan Buchter.
SUBTRACTIONS: INF Ryon Healy, RHP Jesse Hahn, OF Jaycob Brugman.
OUTLOOK: The A's have followed up three straight playoff appearances with last-place finishes the past three seasons. There are signs of a potential turnaround but rebuilding will still take some time, especially in a division with the defending World Series champions and other possible contenders. The bullpen should be improved with the additions of Pagan, Petit and Buchter. The strength of the team is power. Davis leads the way with 85 homers the past two seasons, ranking second in the majors during that span to Giancarlo Stanton's 86. Olson made a big splash with 24 homers in 189 at-bats, a rate topped over a whole season only twice ' when Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds each set the single-season home run record. The A's added depth to the lineup this spring by signing Lucroy. One of the most intriguing players will be Fowler, who played one inning in the majors for the Yankees before blowing out his knee and then getting traded to Oakland for pitcher Sonny Gray. Fowler adds needed athleticism and defense in the outfield as the A's look to build a foundation for the future.

TEXAS: 2017: 78-84, tied for third place.
MANAGER: Jeff Banister (fourth season).
ADDITIONS: LHP Mike Minor, LHP Matt Moore, RHP Doug Fister, RHP Jesse Chavez, RHP Bartolo Colon, 1B Tommy Joseph.
SUBTRACTIONS: 1B-DH Mike Napoli, CF Carlos Gomez, RHP Andrew Cashner, RHP Jason Grilli, RHP A.J. Griffin, LHP Dario Alvarez.
OUTLOOK: AL West champs in each of Banister's first two seasons, the Rangers are coming off their second losing season in nine years. With most of their everyday lineup back, they should be able to hit and score runs again. But in a division with the defending World Series champs and other improved teams, Texas must depend on a revamped rotation ' maybe using six starters in some variation ' and the hope that its bullpen will be drastically improved. The Rangers scored 799 runs last year and ranked third in the majors with 237 homers. Seven returning players had at least 17. That group is led by Gallo, now the primary first baseman after playing three positions in his first full big league season. Hamels, the clear No. 1 starter now that Yu Darvish is gone, missed seven weeks in 2017 with an oblique strain and threw fewer than 200 innings for the first time since 2009. Perez could unexpectedly be ready for opening day after breaking his non-pitching elbow in a mishap on his ranch in Venezuela before Christmas. Fister didn't pitch his first major league game last season until June, and Minor hasn't started since 2014 with the Braves.

PREVIEW

A's hope ace Graveman gets in groove vs. Rangers

The Oakland A's have been on a tear over the past week and a half but have had that success without much contribution from right-hander Kendall Graveman, their opening day starter and erstwhile ace.

Graveman (0-4, 10.07 ERA) will head to the mound on Wednesday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, to try to get back on track and get a piece of the A's momentum. Texas will send right-hander Doug Fister (1-2, 3.95 ERA), who returns to the team after a stint on the disabled list, to oppose him.

Oakland will go for the series sweep on after beating the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday behind six innings of 1-run, 4-hit from Trevor Cahill and a home run from Mark Canha.

The win Tuesday was the Athletics' eighth in their past nine games.

Graveman was the losing pitcher in his last start, a 7-3 A's loss to Boston on April 20 in Oakland. In that game, he showcased a modified delivery, keeping his hands near his belt as opposed to bringing them over his head, and also utilized his changeup with more frequency, loosening his grip on the pitch.

The results were encouraging -- Graveman's lone blemish was a three-run homer by the Red Sox's Jackie Bradley, Jr. Graveman retired 11 in a row at one point in the game.

"The mindset is good," Graveman said. "I made really good pitches last week and had a good bullpen session this week, kept it shorter than I have been to save some of my arm, and I just want to continue to focus on location.

"I'm excited about jumping on board and getting it rolling, too," Graveman added. "That, for me, is the next step, helping this team win. I'm excited where I'm headed, where I'm trending."

Graveman's four losses are tied for the major league lead and ranks last in the majors with 25 runs allowed and second in the American League with 35 hits allowed. He has allowed at least four runs while tossing five innings or fewer in each of his first five starts, a mark that matches the longest such streak by an Athletics pitcher at any point in the season since at least 1908.

Graveman is 4-3 with a 4.39 ERA in nine career starts against Texas. He was the losing pitcher in his only start versus the Rangers this year, a 4-1 A's loss on April 3.

Fister returns from the DL (right hip strain), meaning -- for the time being -- the Rangers will go with six starters on its pitching staff. Bartolo Colon was elevated from the bullpen to a starting role when Fister was on the shelf and performed well, taking a perfect game into the eighth in his first start.

Texas manager Jeff Banister said getting Fister back gives his team some maneuverability.

"It's a lot better than only having four," Banister told mlb.com. "We like the fact we're getting Doug back and we like where (Martin) Perez is trending. Those are positive questions. But we've got some options, and we'll have some decisions to make."

Fister is 8-9 with a 3.35 ERA over 19 career starts versus the Athletics, including 0-1, 13.50 ERA in a single start last season as a member of the Red Sox. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss at Oakland on April 4.